Game wardens inundated with calls about abandoned fawns

GRAY, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Game wardens say they are getting a lot of unnecessary calls about abandoned or nuisance animals.

So far this year, the wardens have already received about 2,400 calls about animals. They say many of those calls are coming from people who find baby deer in their backyards and think they've been abandoned by their mothers. Wildlife biologists say it's normal this time of year for deer to leave their fawns alone during the day while they feed.

"It most likely is being attended by its mother," Sgt. Tim Spahr said. "Its mother is just out feeding. The best thing to do, leave the fawn alone. We have a saying. If you love them, leave them."

Wardens are also getting quite a few calls from people seeing fox and raccoons during the day. They say that is also nothing to be alarmed about. This time of year, those animals are constantly gathering food to feed to their young.

Biologists and game wardens say you should only call them if an animal is obviously sick or injured. They say you should never try to approach the animals yourself.